This attraction's final day of operation was January 7, 2018.
The information below is provided for historical reference.

Description And Comments

This apparently
antiquated wooden monster is actually
a modern steel coaster, and at 6,072
feet, it’s the third longest steel coaster in
the United States. California Screamin’ gets off to a 0-to-55-mph start by
launching you up the first hill like a jet fighter plane off the deck of a carrier
(albeit with different technology). From here you will experience
tight turns followed by a second launch that sends you over the crest of
a 110-foot hill with a 107-foot drop on the far side. Next, you bank and
complete an elliptical loop. A diving turn followed by a series of camelbacks
brings you back to the station. Speakers play a synchronized
sound track complete with recorded canned screaming and a carnival
barker cameo by actor Neil Patrick Harris.

We were impressed by the length of the course and the smoothness of
the ride. From beginning to end, the ride is about 2½ minutes, with 2 minutes
of actual ride time. En route the coaster slows enough on curves and on
transition hills to let you take in the nice view. On the scary-o-meter, Screamin’
is certainly worse than Space Mountain but doesn’t really compare with
some of the steel coasters at nearby Magic Mountain. What Screamin’ loses
in fright potential, however, it makes up for in variety. Along its course, Disney
has placed every known curve, hill, dip, and loop in roller coaster design.

A Carlsbad, California, woman found the roller coaster to be a smooth operator:

California Screamin' was WONDERFUL, and I am a 57-year-old mom, not an adrenaline-crazed young adult! It was my first ever upside-down ride, but it was so smooth and quick [that] I only felt a gentle pressure pushing me into the seat. It was so fun [that] I went again! Don't miss this one, at any age!

A Texas woman agrees, writing:

I hate roller coasters, and I love California Screamin’. Very smooth.

Touring Tips

California Screamin’ is a serious coaster, one that makes
Space Mountain look like Dumbo. Secure any hats, cameras, eyeglasses,
or anything else that might be ripped from your person during the ride.
Stay away completely if you’re prone to motion sickness.

Engineered to run several trains at once, California Screamin’ does a
better job than any roller coaster we’ve seen at handling crowds, at least
when the attraction is running at full capacity. The coaster is sometimes
shut down two or more times a day for technical problems. Early in the
morning, however, it’s usually easy to get two or three rides under your belt
in about 15 minutes. Ride in the first hour the park is open or use FastPass
or the single-rider
line (enter up the ramp to the left of the queue).

Ride Through

This chart shows you roughly how long you'll wait for California Screamin' when you visit on a day with a given Disney California Adventure Crowd Level. The blue bars represent the average "peak" wait time (that is, how long the line will be at its busiest). The bottom and top black lines represent the range of peak wait times to expect (for you fellow nerds out there: it's the 5th percentile and 95th percentile of peak wait times). Please note that these are estimates, and for a better forecast for your travel dates, see California Screamin' Wait Times.